Life Imitates Art.

Well, the move to Ajman is underway. The camel caravan is loading even as I blog.

We were hoping to make a clean break, but it seems there was a mix-up by our real estate agent. He said we could have possession of the new apartment, but didn't know that the electric meters hadn't been installed yet and may not be for another 2 weeks. We found out the repercussions of that news the hard way a few days earlier when we sent Large Hulking Son (LHS) and two of his friends to deliver three large boxes of glass dishes ahead of today's move. They learned that the building only has electricity during construction hours: 8 am to 8 pm. When they arrived at 9 pm the elevators weren't working. They,being the Large Hulking men that they are,carried the boxed up the stairs to the 16th floor. Husband and this Large Bulking Blogger decided being stranded on the 16th floor for twelve hours per day without electricity or elevator was a bit much so we decided to wait for electricity before we made the move. We are moving as much stuff as possible now so I will have time to unpack and reassemble the new apartment before my winter holiday ends on January 14th. We'll work and unpack in the daylight hours and return to our nearly empty Sharjah apartment at night.

My much moved and much abused furniture gets another dose of drop and ding as unskilled laborers, LHS and a hord of his Large Hulking Baskeball Friends load the trucks. (half of these guys look more like football, rather than basketball players.) I;m really greatful for their help, but it's obvious they are total novices at this. It's kind of like having the 12 Stooges as movers. I cringe and try to stay away as I hear: "Oh NO!!!" "Back up, you Idiots!!" "@#@+*^ !!!" "MY foot, get it off my FOOT!"
Crash! Thud! Bump! There it goes out the door.

Ajman, here we come.

Politically Correct Holiday Wishes

Got the hilarious holiday greeting from my dear friend Li'll Gray Crayon. She thinks she's not the brightest crayon in the pack, but I know for a fact that she is brilliant. I'm sending all her carefully worded politically correct holiday wishes your way.

Dear All,

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit: my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the Winter Solstice Holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or the secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious or secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

May you have a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006; but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped to make England great (not to imply that England is necessarily greater than any other country) and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability,religious faith, political belief, choice of computer platform or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wishee to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and the warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

But seriously, may I wish you - and those dear to you - a Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year.

We did have a nice non-Christmas this year. I slept late, ate a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. Found the Christmas stocking left for me by Owl and LHS. It contained a box of herb tea, a pack of marshmallows with smilie faces (makes me smile just writing about them) a box of after-dinner mints (They reminded me Very much of the After 8 mints Li'll Gray always used to bring round to our house. Yum. Good times and good friends.) I then washed the dishes, baked and decorated the last few cookies while listening to Handel's Messiah, watched the Christmas devotional broadcast by my church. The rest of the day was spent in packing. In the evening I called my Mom in one of my semi-annual phone calls. I love my Mom, she's a great person, but I HATE making phone calls. In all, it was a good day.